


Old Acquaintances Renewed

by afteriwake



Series: Where The Wild Ones Are [7]
Category: Sherlock (TV), St Trinian's (2007 2009)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-15
Updated: 2013-05-15
Packaged: 2017-12-11 23:55:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/804720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/pseuds/afteriwake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John invites Annabelle and Kelly to come visit around the time of his Christmas party, and when they agree Kelly has no idea that she'll see a familiar face among John and Sherlock's friends.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Old Acquaintances Renewed

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Aaronlisa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aaronlisa/gifts).



> Once again, another story for my dear friend Aaronlisa. Hopefully this will cheer you up!

John had suggested that Annabelle and Kelly come back for the Christmas holidays. Annabelle felt unsure leaving the girls the entire time, but Kelly convinced her that the three days surrounding John’s Christmas party wouldn’t be too bad. They could still be with the girls who didn’t go home on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Annabelle agreed with very little need for convincing at that point.

John got the place as festive as he could, despite Sherlock’s complaints. He had never been overly fond of this particular holiday, but he could see why John was trying so hard; after all, it was his first Christmas back after he’d left to take down Moriarty’s network, and it was the first Christmas he’d spent in some time with Annabelle, who had been off filming the previous years. He complained, but without much heat behind it.

The first day that Annabelle and Kelly were there John took them out to see the sights. Sherlock declined to join them, even with Annabelle nearly pleading. Since the disastrous visit with John’s mother Annabelle had, indeed, put out overtures of friendship towards him, just as it had been suggested by both Kelly and John. He had to admit he had not been loath to them, and they were at least friendly. Kelly was in much the same category. Only time would tell if he let them get close enough to become friends.

The day of the party Annabelle and Kelly helped set things up and make the food. Sherlock was content to sit back and watch, occasionally playing something festive for them on the violin at John’s request. Mrs. Hudson came and joined them shortly before the party started, bringing gifts for her Annabelle and Kelly, who she had met the last time they were over and formed an instant bond with.

Lestrade arrived first, slightly wary of who was going to be there. When he met Annabelle his jaw dropped slightly and he confessed he had been a fan of her work, and what a shame it was she was no longer acting. She had thanked him, and introduced him to Kelly. They had all gotten into a conversation about St. Trinian’s and Scotland Yard and John watched on with a smile. “I’d say they hit it off well,” John said, taking a sip of his wine.

“I suppose so,” Sherlock said with a nod. “Now all you need to worry about is your girlfriend and Molly.”

“Mary already met them,” he said.

“Oh?”

“When they visited last time. You left to go consult on that case without me, so I rang Mary up and asked if she wanted to have dinner with the three of us. They get along great. Annabelle fully approves of her.”

“That’s good,” Sherlock replied. He took a sip of his own drink. “That still leaves Molly.”

“Molly’s nice. I’m sure she’ll like them as much as everyone else.” John was about to say something else when there was a knock at the door. “I’ll get it.” He set his drink down and went to the door.

Sherlock watched as he came back with Molly and Mary in tow. “I bumped into her outside,” Mary was saying with a smile. “Figured we’d just come in together.”

“Well, you aren’t too late,” John said with a grin. “Let me get your coats.”

“It’s all right,” Molly said with a grin as he went to help Mary. “I can get my own.” She shrugged out of her coat and it was revealed that she was wearing a nice dress. It might not have been as elegant as the one she wore at the last Christmas party, but Sherlock happened to glance at Lestrade when she draped the coat across John’s arm and saw he had the same reaction as last time. And even he had to admit that Molly looked nice. “You look good, Sherlock.”

“You just saw me three days ago,” he replied, though he had a ghost of a smile on his face. “Not much has changed in three days.”

“You know what I mean,” she said, flushing slightly.

“I know. I am just teasing.” He moved over to her and leaned over slightly. “You should probably go talk to Lestrade tonight,” he said quietly so only she could hear.

“Oh?” she said.

“I believe he would very much like to ogle you a bit more closely.”

She blushed hard when Sherlock pulled away. “You are a rotten man sometimes,” she said, shaking her head.

“I believe it would be beneficial to both of you,” he countered.

“Perhaps,” she said with a sigh. Then she turned to John, pasting on a smile. “Are you going to introduce me to the other guests?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Annabelle! Kelly!” he called over. Both women turned away from their conversation. “I want you to meet—”

“Mols!” Kelly said excitedly.

Sherlock’s eyes widened. “ _That’s_ the Mols from your stories?” he asked incredulously as Kelly ran over and hugged Molly.

“Mmm-hmm. Molly Hooper,” Kelly said as she pulled away. “I didn’t know you knew John! I’d have looked you up last time I was here if I’d known.”

“You look smashing,” Molly said, her smile more genuine now. “Heard you were back at St. Trinian’s.”

“I’m in charge. Well, Annabelle is, but I’m the assistant headmistress.”

“Annabelle Fritton?” Molly asked, and Annabelle nodded. “I am so sorry about your aunt. I tried to make it to the service but I just couldn’t get time away. She was a wonderful woman who I loved very much.”

“Thank you,” Annabelle said with a smile. “She’d mentioned you. Your first year was the pearls.”

“You got the necklaces Camilla wore?” Molly asked. “Oh, that’s spectacular. I remember she almost gave me those pearls when I left. She said I had been one of her absolute favorite pupils, and she wanted to give me something to remember the school by.”

“As if you could forget it,” Kelly said with a smile.

“Not while I was checking up on you,” Molly said with a chuckle. “I suppose I haven’t been a good alumnus lately, though. I should fix that.”

“We don’t have many science fanatics this year, I’m afraid. Just one.”

“Maybe I can be a mentor,” Molly said.

“Oh, Katarina would like that,” Annabelle said with a nod. “She feels she doesn’t fit in at the school because she actually wants to learn.”

“Then I’ll come up in a few weeks and meet her,” Molly said with a nod. “I’ve only been a mentor once, but I suppose you never forget.”

“You were the best mentor I ever had,” Kelly said with a wide smile.

“How do you two know Sherlock and John, anyway?” Molly asked.

“John is my step-brother,” Annabelle said. “Well, former step-brother, but we’ve always been rather close. He didn’t let a little thing like our parents’ divorce get in the way of acting like my big brother.”

“Oh, you are so lucky,” Molly said with a smile. “John is a good man. I’m sure he’s been an excellent big brother.”

“I’ve tried my best,” John said with a grin of his own.

“We should really catch up,” Kelly said. “I’m sure you have all sorts of stories to share.”

“I do,” Molly said with a nod.

“I vote for stories from your time at St. Trinian’s,” Sherlock said.

Molly shook her head. “You’ll only use them as blackmail,” she said.

“I already know you stole a car when Kelly was a first year,” he said.

“I didn’t realize he knew you,” Kelly said when Molly looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “He knows a lot about my first year.”

“I’d be keen to know myself,” Lestrade said, looking at her in a new light. “From what these two have told me, that is a very interesting school to attend.”

“If you’re sure,” Molly said slowly. “I suppose I can share a few stories. But after I get something to drink. I think I might need the fortification.”

“One glass of wine, coming right up,” John said. “Red or white?”

“White,” Molly said.

“Mary?” he asked her.

“Red, please.” She smiled at Molly. “I think this will make for a fascinating evening.”

“I hope so,” Molly said. “All right, where should I start?”

“What is the most outrageous thing you’d done while you were a student?” Lestrade asked.

“Aside from stealing a car, though it really wasn’t stealing so much as borrowing with the intent to return, I suppose there was the time we had a trip to London and I got locked in a museum, so I decided to have a little fun…”


End file.
